Golf practice game apparatus



May l1 1926. 1,584.093 4 R. HARRIS GOLF PRACTICE GAME APPARATUS'FiledJune 25. 1925 2 sheets-sheet 1 j. Y 2F35 i IMayl 11 1926.

l 1,ss4,o93 R. HARRIS 'G @LF PRACTCE GAME APPARATUS Filed June 25.J1.925 2` Smets-sheet 2 A ADEX HA/aE/.

el tot um;

,I Patented May 11, 1926.

particularly UNITED STATES 1,584,093 PATENT OFFICE.

REX HARRIS, oF SAN niIEGo, CALIFORNIA.

GOLF PRACTICE GAME APPARATUS.

. by the person playing the-gaine; second, t0

provide a novel means for' registering or recording the pocket, recessor compartment in which the ball is thrown or struck;'third, to providea novel means for returning the balls from tlie'target to the oppositeend of the room, in which the appaiatus is iiistalled, or to theI endnormally occupied by the player; fourth, to providea vertically,horizontally and backwardly yieldable tai'- get for an apparatus of thisclass; fifth, to provide a target ofthis class having ver'- ticallyextending compartments diverging inwardly from the front side, certainofthe vertical compartments being horizontally subdivided to formsmaller compartments; sixth, to provide a target of this class havingvertically from a continuous piece of fabric, the inner walls of the.vertical compartments being vertically reinforced, the reinforcing meansproviding also obstructions for the balls thrown or struck into thepockets or com'-v partments; seventh, to provide a target of this classhaving backwardly extending and downwardly inclined discharge chutes forreceiving the balls thrown or struck into the various pockets; eighth,to provide ball-discharge chutes for an apparatus ofl this class, havingelectric switch means in connection therewith operable by the ballspassing through the chutes for registering'or recording in-an indicatormeans or box the pocket, recess or compartment into which the balls arethrown or struck; ninth, to provide a gaine apparatus of this classwhich may be readily installed in almost any building without materiallychanging the original constructionthereof; tenth, to provide as a wholea novelly constructed game .apparatus of this class, and eleventh, `toprovide an apparatus of this class which is simple and economical ofconstruction proportionate to its functions, durable,'andy which willnot readily deteriorate or get out of order.

kWith these and other objects in View, as will appear hereinafter, myinvention consists of certain novel features of construction,combination and arrangement of parts extending compartments madel IApplication filed .Tune 25, 1925.l Serial No. 39,496.

and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail andparticularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon,which form a part of this application, in which: i

Figure l is a front elevational view of the target of my game apparatus,shown construct-ed in a building on a slightly elevated and inclinedsecondary floor; Fig. 2 is a sec- 2-2 ofFig. 4; Figj is an enlargedfragimentary perspective view showing the detail of construction of thetarget; Figfl is av fragmentary longitudinal sectional View of my gameapparatus, with the section taken through 4-4 of Fig. l; Figz 1s adiagra1n` matic view ofl a'portion of the ball con trolledv switchmechanisms and registering means, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentarysectional view taken at 6-6 of Fig. I

showing in planl thev arrangement of theI ball conveyei relatively tothe ball return passage built in the Wall of the building.

tional view thereof in plan, taken through lLike characters of referencerefer to siiuilar parts and portions throughout the several views of thedrawings.

. My target is provided with a plurality of variously spaced verticallyextending pockets, recesses or compartment-s, certain of said pockets,recesses Vor compartments being subdivided into smaller compartments orpockets.4 The vertical Walls forming said pockets, recesses orcompartments diverge inwardly from the front side of the target, asvshown best in Figs. 2 and 3. These vertical walls are constructed of acontinuoussheet of yieldable material, such as banva's, and extend in azigzag manner around vertically extending wires 2 at the frontl portionof the target and around yieldable rubber tubes 3 at the rear portion ofthe yieldable target. The wires 2 are secured at their lower ends to theHoor, 38 and at their upper ends to tension springs '9 positioned inrecessesVVl in the ceiling of theroom in which the apparatus isposimeter of the balls used, are secured through the canvas 1 to thesupportingl` wall 4 eX- tending transversely across the room. The

middle narrower pocket, indicated by A and C in Figs; 1 and 2, aredivided intermediate their upperl and lower ends by partition members 6also made of canvas or other fabric. The front ends or edges of thepartition members 6 are supported around a wire member 7 extendingthrough all of the narrow pockets and spaced some distance from thefront side of the target or the front edges ofthe partition material 1,as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The rear ends of the partition members 6extend preferably through the openings 1a and 4SL at'the rear loopportion of the vertical partition material 1 and the support 4,respectively, as shown best in Fig. 3. The pockets of the middlevertical pockets or compartments AI above the horizontally extendingpartition members 6 are again subdivided into a plurality of smallercompartments, designated by E. These pockets E are similarly formed byfabric partition members 6 secured at their front `ends overhorizontally and transversely extending supporting wires 7 as previouslydescribed. The transversely extending partition members 6 are slightlyinclined downwardly toward the rear portion of the target, as shown bestin Figs. 3 and 4, to permit the ball when thrown or struck into one ofthe pockets to roll backwardly through the holes la and 4a, previouslydescribed, into tlie backwardly and downwardly inclined chutes 8 securedat their forward ends to the supporting wall 4 `at the holes or openings4n in said supporting wall, as shown best in Fig. 3.

The yieldable rubber tube or hose sections 3, positioned in the pocketsD, extend from the top to the bottom of the pockets as well.

as those in the lower pockets, designated by A and C. The rubber tube orhose sections 3 in the upper pockets are spaced at their lower ends fromthe partition members 6 to provide openings for the balls from saidpockets into the chutes 8, as shown best in Figs. 3 yand 4. Saidyieldable rubber hose sections perform a triple function, namely, thatof supporting the rear loop portions of the vertical partition walllmaterial 1 to 'thesupporting wall 4,y that of spacing the rear portionsof the material 1 as to provide access ofthe balls to the rear portionsof the pockets to permit the same to pass through the openings into thechutes 8 of the upper pockets and into the trough 37 fromthe lowerportions ofthe pockets A and C and the lar er pockets D, and that ofserving as a bum erv for the ballsas they. are thrown or (struck intothe variousl pockets.

v The vertical walls, forming the various pockets, are reinforced attheir inner sides by vertically-extending cords 10 secured to thematerial 1. The partition members 6 are similarly reinforced at theirunder sides by cords 11. Said reinforcing'cords also serve as retardingmeans for the balls as they are thrown or struck into the pockets andtendl -of the partition members 6 downwardly,

thus breaking the glancing blows of the balls against the walls formingthe pockets.

The front edges of the partition mem bers 6 are spaced from the frontedges of the vertical walls so as to increase the chance of directing aball into one of the pockets.

The rear ends of the chutes 8 are directed downwardly and provided attheir lower ends with trapdoors ,12 secured to pins 13 pivotally mountedin brackets 14 secured to the. rear ends of the several chutes. At theone ends of the pins 13 are secured arms 15, the outer ends of whicharms are connected' to the one ends of tension springs 16 secured to therespectivetubes, as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5, for holdingthe trapdoors 12 in a horizontal position. To said pins are also securedarms 17 which are provided at their outer ends with y-,ieldable contactmembers 18 which are adapted, when the trapdoors 12 are rotated abouttheir pivotal supports by the balls B being dis-.

trapdoor 12 and other trapdoors 40 mounted at the lower ends of thelarge pockets D and the lower ends of the lower portions of the pocketsA and C. The other contact members 19 are connected, Jby means ofconductors 21, withthe respective electromagnets 24 in the register box26. Said electromaffnets are rovicled with reciprocable' armatures 25which are pivotally connected at their one ends to slotted portions atthe outer ends of arms 28 which are secured at their opposite ends topivotal indicator arms27 adapted t0 indicate the score or the pocket inwhich the ball is thrown or struck. Near the opposite ends of thearmatures 25 are provided notches which are adapted to be engaged bypawl levers 29 pivotally mounted intermediate their ends and retained ina position to engage the notched portion of said armatures bycompression springs 30. rIlhe armatures 25 are normally held in adisengaged-position relatively to the pawl leverl 29 by tension springs25a connected to the ends of the armatures 25 pivotally connected withthe arms 28, as shown v in'Fig. As the ball B passes backwardly throughthe chutes and drops downwardly at the rear ends of said chutes, thetrapdoors 12 are forced downwardly, as shown in the one instance in Fig.5, short-circuiting the contacts 19 and 20, causing a current to fioW tothe electro-magnets, attracting the armature'against the tension of thespring 25a so as to permit the pawl lever 29 to engage the notched endof the arn'iature 25 rotating the indicating lingers 27 from thehorizontal to the vertical position. The armatures are retained in saidattracted position by the pawl lever 29 until tripped by a cable 31connected to the outer ends of the pawl levers. Said cable 31, togetherwith other similar cables connected to other electro-magnetscorresponding to the several pockets in the target, is connected to atrip member 32 eX- tendingl downwardly and beyond the indicator box 26,as shown in Fig. 4.

The upwardly and backwardly inclined floor 38 terminates at a portionjust beyond the front face of the target, as shown best in Fig. 4, from.which portion the ioor is inclined downwardly, as indicated .by 39,terminating at the front portion of the trough 3T in which all of theballs roll toward the conveyer 41. The tioor is inclined dowinvardly, asindicated by 39, to facilitate the directing of the .balls backwardlywhen the same are thrown or struck into the lower portions'ofthe pocketsA and Gand the wider pockets .D at the ends. 'lhe trapdoors 4.0, at therear portions of the lower ends of the pockets last mentioned, arepositioned at the rear edge of the ioor 39 from lwhich the balls rolldown to the trapdoors 40, which are actuated similarly to the trapdoors12 described above.

At the rear side ,of the upper end of thetioneda vertical vcontinuousconveyer 41 which extends around sheaves 42 and 43, the former extendinginto a recess 1n' the Hoor and the other extending into a recess Y inthe ceiling of the room in which the api 4- the slots in said pocketmembers permittin paratus is constructed. Said conveyer is provided Witha plurality of ball carrying pocket members 4l"14 which are-preferablylongitudinally slotted, as shown 'in Fig. 6,

(Y l" the conveyer'to pass by a plurality or pair of arms 4'5 extendingtoward said belt conveyer for receiving the balls as they drop Ifrom thepocket members at the upper end j of the conveyer. Said arms 45 areinclined at an angle to guide the balls toward the wall and into arecess or tube IVZ constructed in the wall, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and6, the other end of the tube terminating at the end of the room or ofthe apparatus occupied by the player in any suitable receptacle.Thesheave 42 is preferably rotated by an electric motor 44, as shown inFig. 1.

At the end of the room or apparatus occupied by the player is provided amound 46 on which may be placed the ball as in the conventional golfgame.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combinationand arrangement of parts and portions, l'do not Wish to be limited tothis particular construction, combination and arrangement,v but desireto include in the scope of my invention the construction, combinationand arrangement sub'stantially asset forth in the appended claims. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tpsecure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a game apparatus of the class described, a yieldable targetprovided with a. plurality of vertically arranged pockets variouslyspaced and subdivided.

2. In a game 'apparatus of the class described, a yieldable targetprovided with a plurality of vertically arranged pockets variouslyspaced and subdivided and a trough at the lower end of said target fordirecting balls to one side thereof.

In a game apparatus of the class described,a yieldable target providedwith a plurality of vertically arranged pockets variously spaced andsubdivided, a trough at.

`the lofwer end of said target for directing balls to one side thereof,a conveyer positioned at the one end of. said trough for raising theballs therefrom, and a passage means extending from said conveyer to apoint in front of said target near the player.

4. In a game apparatus of the class described, a yieldable targetprovided with a plurality of variously arranged pockets, switch meansarranged behind the target in connection with the several pockets, andan indicator board in connection with said target and similarly arrangedprovided with indicating means connected with the several 'switch meansof the various pockets.

5. In a game apparatus of the class described, a yieldable targetprovided with a plurality of vertically arranged, inwardly convergingpockets variously subdivided, the vertical Walls of said pockets beingformed of fabric and thesubdividing walls thereof being also formed offabric. J

6. In a game apparatus of the class described, a'yieldable targetprovided with a plurality of vertically arranged,'inwardly con-vergingpockets variously subdivided, the vertical` walls of Said pockets beingformed of fabric and the subdividing walls `thereof being also formed offabric, wires extending from the lower to the upper end of said targetsupporting the front edges of the fabric forming the vertical walls ofsaid pockets, and other wires extending horizontally through the-vertical walls of said pockets suppqrting the front ends of the fabricsubdividing partition wa-ll's.

7. In` 'a game apparatus of the class described, a yieldable targetprovided with a lwalls of said pockets supporting the front ends of thefabric subdividing partition walls.

8. In a game apparatus of theclass described, a yieldable targetprovided with a plurality of vertically arranged, inwardly convergingpockets variously subdivided, the vertical walls of said pockets beingformed of fabric and the subdividing walls thereof being also formed offabric, said subdividing walls being inclined backwardly and downwardlyfrom the front portion of the target and spaced at their front edgesfrom the front face of the target.

9. In a game apparatus of the class described, a yieldable targetprovided with a plurality of vertically arranged, inwardly convergingpockets variously subdivided, the vertical walls of said pockets beingformed `of- .fabric and the subdividing walls thereof being also formedof fabric, and chutes secured at their one ends to the rear. portion'ofsaid target above said partition wall members and inclined backwardlyand downwardly therefrom.

l 10. In a game apparatus ofthe class described, a yieldable targetprovided with a. plurality of vertically arranged, inwardly convergingpockets variously subdivided, the

vertical walls of said pockets beingformed of fabric and the subdividingwalls` thereof being also formed of fabric, chutes secured at their oneends to the rear portion of said target above said subdividing. wallsand inclined Vbackwardly and downwardly therefrom, trapdoors arrangedatl the 'rear ends of said chutes, switch means in connection with saidtrapdoors, -and an indicator board having subdivisions correspondingwith said target and provided with indicators connected with said switchmeans.

11. In a game apparatus of the class described, aA yieldable targetprovided with a an inclined screen arranged below said trap-- doors, atrough positioned at the lower portion of said target in which saidscreen terminates, and means for returning balls from said trough to theend of the apparatus near the player.

12. In a game apparatus of the class described, a yieldable targetprovided with a plurality of vertically arranged, inwardly convergingpockets variously subdivided, the vertical .walls of said pockets beingformed of fabric and the subdividing walls thereof being also formed offabric, wires extending from the lower to the u'pperend of said targetsupporting the front edges of the fabric forming the vartical walls ofsaid pockets, and other wires extending horizontally through thevertical walls of'said pockets supporting the front ends of the fabricsubdividing partition walls, said fabric forming the vertical walls ofsaid pockets being provided on its inner side with reinforcing cords,and the fabric forming the horizontal partition walls being provided atits under i sides with reinforcing cords.

, 13. In a game apparatus, a target provided with a plurality ofvertically arranged pockets, a base 'for said target inclined downwardlytoward the front and rear from near the front face of said target, and atrough arranged at the rear portion of said target below said verticalpockets into which balls from said downwardly and backwardly inclinedportion of said base are adapted to roll. y

14. In a game apparatus, a target comprising a plurality of parallelvertically arranged wires yieldably supported at their upper ends, asupporting means positioned backwardly from said wires, rubber tubesections supported by said supporting means in opposed relation to saidwires, and a continuous, vvertically corded, fabric memberl-extendingaround said wires and said rubber tube sections in a zigzagmanner forming vertical, inwardly converging pockets.

' In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Diego,California, thi 23rd day of April, 1925.

` REX inimais-f`

